Tartarus
Tartarus is a section in the underworld where evildoers are sent and where the Titans are imprisoned. Tartarus lies beneath the Phlegethon, the river of fire. Overview The possibility of being sent to Tartarus is what mortals fear the most about the afterlife. Fortunately, only those who commit the most atrocious acts are sent there. Such acts include murder of kin and guests, severe acts of blasphemy and heresy, child molestation, mass murder, and cannibalism. In addition to a prison for evildoers and the Titans, Tartarus also serves as a residence for the Keres, the daimones of violent death, the Erinyes, and the Hundred-Handed Ones. Sections The Ouroboros of Kampe During his reign, Kronos had the Cyclopes and Hekatoncheires imprisoned in Tartarus where they were guarded by the serpentine monster, Kampe. During the Titanomachy, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades slew Kampe in order to free the Cyclopes and the Hundred Handed Ones. However, the barrier between Tartarus and the cosmos was still bound within Kampe and her remains still serve as a boundary between the two. According to Hades, gods do not exist below the Ouroboros. When he and Persephone pass the Ouroboros of Kampe, all evidence of light is drained from them, their skin pales, and their irises burn with the fires of the Phlegethon. The Labyrinth Below the Ouroboros is an isolated, cavern with a labyrinthine pathway. The cavern is pitch black to the point where it is extremely difficult to tell which direction one has turned. Any flame lit in Tartarus burns black and only white ''magnes ''and the faint glow of Ixion’s wheel are can be seen in the encompassing darkness. On either side of the pathway lies an abyss that falls into nothingness. Anyone unfortunate enough to stumble over the precipice eternally falls into utter nothingness. It is noted by Hades that this is the closest thing to death for a god. Beyond the labyrinth lies the Fields of Punishment and the Pit. The Pit The Pit is a whirling, fiery lake that serves as the main form of punishment for the damned. During the Titanomachy, it was used as a prison for enemies of the Olympians. When he began to receive evildoers, Hades decided to have them sent to the Pit in order to protect their victims in Asphodel. The Fields of Punishment The Fields of Punishment are exclusive to mortals, except for Ixion, who have committed offenses against the gods themselves and now serve as an example for the living. Rather than a physical punishment like the Pit or Ixion’s Wheel, all punishments exacted in the Fields are psychological: the shades’ own minds serve as their prison. Notable Residents The Damned Ixion Ixion was an old friend of Zeus. When he was invited to Olympus for dinner, Ixion attempted to rape Hera and an angered Zeus struck Ixion down and had Hades come up with a fitting punishment. Ixion now resides in Tartarus strapped across a burning wheel that serves as a vague light source for the prison. Salmoneus Salmoneus was the brother of Sisyphus. Before he was driven to madness by his brother, he would sit in a chariot that hung high above his throne and throw silver javelins at his own subjects, all while pretending to be the Zeus. The king of the gods did not take too kindly to this act of blasphemy and condemned Salmoneus to Tartarus, ordering that thunder echo loudly in his head for eternity. Tantalus In life, Tantalus was obsessed with obtaining divine power. When he was invited to Olympus as a guest, Tantalus fed the Olympians his son and tried to steal the secrets of immortality from them. After discovering this, Zeus had Tantalus sent to Tartarus and implored Hades to come up with a fitting punishment. Tantalus currently sits in the Fields of Punishment, perpetually reaching for water and food he can’t consume. Tyro Tyro was the daughter of Salmoeus and the niece of Sisyphus. She was raped and impregnated by her uncle, who wanted to fulfill the prophecy of her sons taking the throne for him. To prevent this prophecy from being fulfilled, Tyro murdered her children and then committed suicide, despite knowing that she would be damned to Tartarus as a kinslayer. Her punishment is unknown. Category:Settings